But Brian emerged with another handful. “It seems money can buy much more bread here than it can in Orwell,” he said. “That isn’t all of it.”
“How much more?” William asked.
“A couple more handfuls, I’ll need another Arracian to carry it.”
William nodded. “We’ll meet you at the entrance of the town, then.”
“Alright,” Brian nodded uncomfortably.
With bulging bags full of bread, the two of them slowly rode their horses towards the front gates. “At least we’ll have food for our trip,” Elizabeth lightly pointed out. “Brian bought enough bread to feed a small army.”
William nodded.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I’m sure we’ll find water along the way.”
“Do you know what we’ll be passing on the road there?”
“I remember a few towns from the map,” she said, “all under the Brutean banner, but I’ve never travelled that far East before. Victoria’s the one that will know more about it.”
William nodded. “I’m nervous to see more of the world. My father never took me that far with him.”
“We can see it together, then,” she said.
He smiled back. After reaching the town’s front gates, they waited to the side of the busy main road and enjoyed the peace on the people’s faces. William knew this would be one of the last moments of calm he’d experience for a while, the last familiar place they’d go through. He closed his eyes and took in the sounds and smells, the loud conversations and the smell of cooked meats from the butchers just behind them. Passing that just about killed him. At least they had bread to eat, and he took a large bite from one of the loaves, savouring the warm interior and satisfying flavour.
“Are you ready?” Brian called from behind him, jolting him from his thoughts. “The others will be wanting that bread just as much as you did.”
“Yes,” William said, returning the half-eaten loaf to the bag beside him. “I’m ready to return.”
Brian led them towards the front gates of the town, the rest of the Arraci all following behind them. He turned to face William. “It’ll be alright, William,” he comforted, seeing the distress in his eyes. “You will find your answers.”
William nodded, taking one last glance at the peaceful town around him. “Yes, I will.”
Chapter XXIX
A flicker of torchlight further up the road caught William’s attention.
The rhythmic patter of his horse’s footsteps had provided the perfect lullaby, as he’d barely managed to keep his eyes open until this point. Exhaustion made the most basic of functions, such as sitting on the horse, seem like the most arduous of tasks, and he feared Windrunner would collapse beneath him unless he let his old friend rest a bit. But to his surprise, he turned to see Elizabeth still wide awake and her horse gladly prancing down the road as if both of them had just slept for half a day. She smiled at him after seeing his shock and reached over to touch his horse; her eyes began to faintly illuminate. Strands of green light flowed from Windrunner into her hand until the light faded, and she looked up.
Windrunner released a small sound before his muscles tensed again. After shaking his head a couple of times, his posture improved and his strides lengthened. “You gave him strength,” William assumed. “Is it permanent?”
“No,” she answered, the sound of their conversation breaking the otherwise silent journey. “It’s only temporary.”
William nodded; it made sense why her horse never seemed to tire.
Brian rode in front of them while the rest of the Arraci quietly trotted behind. He looked at Brian’s back and thought to himself, thought about the disappointment Brian would feel after finding out he’d left with Elizabeth. His mood saddened, and he jolted Windrunner forward to ride beside him. Brian smiled after seeing him, and William gave a shallow smile back.
“I’m surprised you managed to stay awake,” Brian commented.
“I’m pretty sure I closed my eyes for a bit of the journey,” William admitted.
“Sleep will feel good right now. I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.” He chuckled to himself. “It’s amazing how a piece of dirt can sound like a master bed if you’re tired enough.”
“I’d sleep anywhere I’m so tired,” William laughed back, but his smile faded. “I just wanted to say something,” he started, his attention shifting between Brian and Windrunner as he thought about his next words.
“What’s on your mind, William?”
“I wanted to say thank you for always protecting me and the others. I don’t think I’ve said that in a while. You’ve always been there for us.”
“It’s an honour to protect the royal family,” Brian answered, clearly taken aback by William’s sudden words.
He nodded. “I see you more as a brother than a guard,” he spoke up. “I wanted you to know that. Adriana, too; both of you are a part of the family. I care for the both of you like I care for Max and Richard. I hope you know that.”
Brian gave a warm smile and a nod. “I can see you’re very tired, aren’t you?” he laughed back, but his face turned more serious. “But yes, I see you as a brother and the others as my family, too. It’s why I’d give my own life to protect any one of you.”
William shifted his weight on the horse. “Let Adriana know what I said, too, if you could?”
“Tell her yourself,” Brian shrugged back with curiosity in his eyes. “We’ll be back soon.”
“I wouldn’t want to wake her,” William said. “I know the two of you are taking shifts through the night, and it’s her turn to sleep.”
“Then when she wakes up,” Brian countered, his brow lowered.
“Yes, of course,” William said. He spoke quietly, knowing that he couldn’t. “I will.”
He fell back beside Elizabeth, and she gave him a side glance. Saying those words meant a lot to him. He looked at Brian’s back and thought again of the disappointment he’d feel after leaving, the worry this would cause everyone. It churned his stomach. But they’d have to understand, they all would. They would come to terms with why he’d left, he knew they would.
They entered the small camp.
Everyone already lay on the hard ground fast asleep, the quiet sound of snoring from both the people and the horses. The moment they entered the camp, William spotted Max and Victoria walking towards them; judging by the exhaustion in their eyes, the two of them had refused to sleep while William and Elizabeth travelled to Noteral.
“You return with food and water,” Max said as he quickly opened the bag on William’s horse and pulled out a half-eaten loaf. “I assume this was yours?” he said and handed it back before taking out a fresh one for himself and one for Victoria.
“I suppose we will eat after everyone wakes up,” Brian commented.
Max looked around him. “The moment you left, everyone fell asleep. Only the Arracian Watchers guard the outskirts.”
“Is it…”
“Orthol and Gringal,” Max finished, “yes it is.”
“I’m not surprised,” Brian said. “Well, I think I’ll unload this food and water after everyone wakes up. I see no reason to disrupt their sleep.” He dismounted his horse and held onto the reins while looking for Adriana, who slept at the base of one of the trees with her exhausted horse lying on the ground beside her. “I’ll see you when we wake up,” he said, looking at William as he passed by him.
“Thank you, Brian,” William smiled and gave a shallow wave. He knew it would be the last time he saw him for a while. He turned his attention back to Max and Victoria. “Well,” he said. “I suppose it’s time to sleep.”
Max nodded after taking a large bite of the bread. “Yes,” he said and gave his brother a pat on the shoulder. “I’m over there if you want to join me,” he said while pointing towards somewhere in the middle of the others.
William knew it wouldn’t suffice. “I think I’m going to opt for a place away from the others. I’m a light sleeper, and
the snoring will keep me up.”
“Don’t go too far,” Max said, preparing to walk away with a suspicious glance. “Goodnight, brother.”
“Max,” William said as he reached out to him.
“Yes?”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t ask for a better big brother.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “And I could not have a better middle brother,” he responded, “or family.” He glanced to Elizabeth, who avoided eye contact by focusing on Victoria next to her. “Sleep, brother; the exhaustion has clearly gone to your head.”
“Yes, of course,” William said, and he embraced him quickly before letting go again. “Sleep well, then.”
They parted ways and the two of them led their horses towards the outskirts of the camp with Victoria following closely behind. “I retrieved the map,” Victoria reported. “It seems that even Eternals must sleep. The map is beside my horse. I’ll be right back.”
The two of them continued to the edge of the camp.
William could feel a pain swelling up within his chest. The two of them walked in silence. They passed several Arraci snoring on the ground along with Zed, hugging one of his books, and Porter, who dearly embraced his wife beside him, both of them using a bunched up coat as a make shift pillow with a blanket over top. After reaching the edge of the camp, William spotted a couple of Arraci down the road back towards Skee with their bows readied with an arrow.
“We’ll have to make it past them,” he pointed out.
“Give them an order as we pass,” Elizabeth answered. “They answer to you.”
William nodded.
“This should work,” Elizabeth said while stopping.
“Yes,” he muttered. The road in front of them stared back, the ominous silver moonlit passage to another world with small patches of trees flanking either side. “I’m nervous,” he spoke up.
Elizabeth placed a hand on his shoulder. “Me too,” she said.
“I don’t know what to expect or whether I’ll even like the answers I find.”
She nodded. “We’ll be alright,” she said. “I know it.”
“Here it is,” Victoria whispered as she approached from behind. She held the hard cylinder in her hand. “I know it’s in there. Thrix would probably lose it if it wasn’t.” She paused, her gaze dropping to the ground. “You are leaving, aren’t you?” she said. “You needed the map to travel to Durk’helm with the stone.”
Elizabeth nodded.
Victoria sighed and stared back at her friend with saddened eyes. “I’ll tell Thrix that I have the stone,” she said. “He thinks I already have it.”
Elizabeth nodded again. “Thank you, Victoria,” she muttered out. “We must do this. It’s the only way.”
“I know. I wish there was another way, but I know that there isn’t.”
Elizabeth looked for wandering eyes around them before removing the stone. She carefully transferred the oval rock to the new bag and then returned it to a fold within her dress. She held the empty, original black bag in her palm and her eyes glowed green once more. After a brief moment, she handed the bag back to her friend. “If you open the bag, the stone will appear to be inside it. When Thrix asks, you can show him.”
“What did you do to it?” William asked.
“I put a small illusion on it,” Elizabeth said, “a minor visual trick. It was one of the last lessons my father taught me.”
Victoria took the bag, peeking inside to see that the illusion worked and showed William too. “I will do it,” she promised her friend.
William diverted his attention from the stone and took the hard cylinder from Elizabeth, removing the cap from the top and pulling the parchment out. He carefully unrolled the map and showed the other two. Within moments, the map erupted into activity once again before the ink finally set, revealing the updated landscape. William inhaled sharply; he’d done it again, involuntarily used an inner power he never knew existed, to perform something no one else could – this was all real. He looked at the other two, who stared back at him.
“I see no activity on the road to Durk’helm,” he said quietly. “And our enemy remains where Skee used to be.”
“William,” Lilia called out as she rushed towards him.
“Quiet,” he quickly said as he raised his finger in front of his lips and approached her. “People are sleeping.”
“You didn’t wake me up on returning,” she complained after standing beside his legs. “You said you would. You promised.”
“I’m sorry, Lilia,” he said. “But I must go for a while, and I need for you to be strong about this and not tell anyone yet.”
“Where are you going?”
“To a far place,” William said. “You would not understand, but know that you’ll be safe with everyone here.”
Lilia stood confused.
“You know Porter, don’t you?” he thought, “the innkeeper.”
She nodded.
“I want for you to stay with him, okay?”
“And I will keep you safe, little one,” Victoria added, assuring both Lilia and William. “Don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Victoria,” William said to her. He stood up straight again and looked to the countless stars dotting the clear night sky above, exhaling slowly and closing his eyes. “And now we wait,” he said, “wait for everyone to fall asleep so that we may leave unseen.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Yes, we wait.”
The four of them waited together. Lilia quickly fell asleep by Victoria’s feet, and William watched everyone else in the camp. As expected, Brian fell asleep before his shift ended, something that they’d hoped for, leaving hardly anyone awake except for the two Arracian Watchers guarding the front of the camp and them. It didn’t take long before all activity ceased around them and the opportunity presented itself. Elizabeth glanced around them, seeing no activity, and spoke up.
“It’s time,” she said. “We should leave to gain a large distance before everyone wakes up.”
“Take the bread on your horse,” Victoria said. “You’ll need it for the journey.”
Elizabeth embraced her friend. “Take care, Victoria, we’ll return as soon as possible.”
“Safe journey,” she said as she pulled away from the hug. “Be careful in Durk’helm. You won’t find any friends there except for Tolin.”
“What do you mean?” William asked.
“All of the kingdoms vie for control over the place, so everyone treats each other as an enemy,” Elizabeth explained for her friend, “but we’ll be fine.” She looked back to Victoria. “Till next time, my friend,” she said before turning.
William gave a final caring look to Lilia, who still slept peacefully beside Victoria’s feet, before Elizabeth led the two of them to the outskirts of the camp. He gave Elizabeth a side glance. “The enchantment on the bag worked very well,” he commented. “You impress me once again.”
“I seldom use illusion,” she said, “and have a very basic understanding of it. That school of magic is the art of deception, magic designed to lie to another, but the time called for it.”
They reached the two Arracian Watchers standing to either side of the road, where it forked into two separate directions, and they turned to face them. Orthol and Gringal were quietly conversing about Orwell, but stopped after seeing them approach. “William,” Orthol called out in surprise. “You cannot sleep?”
“I’m leaving, Orthol,” William said.
He stared back in shock, as did Gringal, struggling to find the words. “What do you mean you are leaving?”
William sighed. “Please, Orthol. I’m sorry to do this, but I must order you not to speak of this until everyone wakes up.”
“No,” Orthol muttered to himself. “You would have me keep this from the others? I cannot let you leave without the safety of an Arracian escort.”
“You will if ordered by a member of the royal family,” William regretfully said while putting a hand on Orthol’s shoulder. “I m
ust do this, my friend.”
“No, you don’t,” a voice called from behind him. William and Elizabeth quickly turned to see Max standing right behind them, his gaze fixated on William’s eyes. “No, you don’t,” he repeated angrily. “You don’t have to leave the rest of us here and travel alone to Durk’helm.”
“But I choose to, brother,” William said. His gaze dropped to his feet, an overwhelming sense of guilt in his heart. “How did you know I was leaving?”
Max scoffed at his brother’s question. “I know you quite well, little brother. You can’t do anything that I won’t notice. That’s part of being an older brother.”
William nodded. “I must, Max. I have to find my answers, discover who I am and where I came from.”
“Then do it with the company of your family and the Arraci,” Max countered. “Why leave on your own when you have so many people that would help you?”
“Of all the people here, you must understand my reasons,” William argued. “You would do the same if you could find out who your true parents were and where you came from. I know you would.” He paused. “Everyone here wants to return to Brymar, not travel to Durk’helm.”
Max sighed. He started to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. “I should wake everyone up right now,” he threatened.
Elizabeth and William stared at him.
“But as your brother,” he continued, “and as your friend, I must let you go.”
William took a step forward to embrace him. “I must find out who I am, Max. I need answers.”
“I know, William,” he said while reciprocating the embrace. His attention focused on Elizabeth. “The two of you travel into unchartered territory.”
“We have the map,” Elizabeth said while pointing to it on William’s horse. “We will know our way.”
The Secrets of Brymar (The Elitherian Fragments Book 1) Page 34
